Worlds Apart
by HR always live on
Summary: A multi chap fic. HR, involving the suggested alternative ending on the 10:6 commentary. Now Complete
1. Chapter 1

_Just a small setting the scene chapter, using the commentary alternative ending that was suggested._

* * *

><p>Ruth closed her eyes in relief as she put the phone down. Safe. He was safe. Harry had taken the blame for everything and had risked spending the rest of his life behind bars. Being discovered with a top level dead Russian spy hadn't exactly been confidence boosting either. Ilya and Sasha were both being silent about her death and the FSB assumed British intelligence had been responsible. Bloody, Elena, Ruth cursed silently. She was still causing them problems, even when she was dead and buried. The Americans wanted to blame someone for Coaver's death and as Harry was already implicated the Russians had agreed to let him go to Washington. With the proviso that they had the second round of questioning in Moscow at a later date. Ruth had cried herself to sleep several nights running once she had discovered that. No matter what Erin came up with nothing seemed to work and time had been running out.<p>

However, they had managed to replace the pilot without the Americans getting wind of it, and he in turn had diverted the plane to South America rather than Washington. They had just received news that the plane had landed safely as well as getting several angry calls from the CIA who demanded that they released Harry. But MI5 sweetly pointed out that they had no idea where he was. They had also implied that as the CIA had managed to lose Harry Pearce twice in a fortnight it was rich for them to try and blame MI5.

Erin walked over to Ruth's desk. (She had quickly transferred back to section D when she knew Harry needed her, much to Towers chagrin.) "He's okay," Erin said calmly.

"I know, I just wish…"

"Yeah," Erin said. "I can't tell you where he is, you know that don't you?"

"I do," she said with a sigh. "Doesn't make it any easier because I know that within a week he'll have vanished. He won't even leave something that I could follow because he knows its too dangerous."

"I'm sorry for everything," Erin said. "You know this is the right thing to do."

"I know its safest," Ruth said. "It doesn't make it right."

"Ruth…"

"Don't," she said. "I know I can't hold that knowledge, I know that. But still he has been torn from my life and I may never see him again. There is nothing you can say to make it easier. It can't be made easier." Ruth sighed. "Can you do without me for the rest of the day?"

"Of course I can," Erin said. "Go home."

"I will," she said, picking up her coat. She didn't look back as she went through the pods. All her mind could see was Harry.

* * *

><p><em>I will probably continue this but have no idea where its going. Tell me what you think! xxx<em>


	2. Chapter 2

As soon as Ruth got home she started looking for her most expensive bottle of red wine that she had been saving for a special occasion. Ideally a Harry related special occasion, but that wasn't going to happen now, she thought as she found it. Opening her kitchen drawer she found her corkscrew and opened the bottle before she could change her mind. After the week she'd had, she felt she deserved it. She filled a large wine glass and took a huge gulp without even tasting it. She took the bottle and the glass upstairs and started to run herself a bath. If nothing else she needed to relax and a hot bubble bath combined with alcohol sounded like a good recipe for that to her.

By the time she'd got halfway through the bottle (or more than halfway) she was feeling a little better. She was still depressed, incredibly sad and upset but the edge of hysteria had gone and the mind numbing devastation had lessened slightly. She was arguing with herself whether to add more hot water or actually get out of the bath when her phone rang, making her mind up for her. Wrapping a towel around her she walked unsteadily to the phone.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to see if you were alright," Dimitri's voice said.

"Oh yes," she said sarcastically, the alcohol loosening her tongue, making her say more than she normally would. "The man I love has gone to the other side of the world and I'll never see him again. I can do nothing about that and if anyone catches him he'll go to prison. I have no idea where he is. I never told him how I felt and I never heard him say the words I longed to hear. I won't know what his life will be. He could die or be taken to prison and I'll never know. But yes, of course I'm fine Dimitri."

"Don't drink anymore," he said quietly.

"The bottle's empty anyway. A beautiful Bordeaux I'd been saving for a special occasion."

"Go to bed," Dimitri said. "And don't do anything stupid."

"I don't think I have the energy to do anything at all," she said. Except cry, she added in her mind.

"Take care of yourself," Dimitri said. "You don't have to come to the grid tomorrow, we'll understand."

"I'll be there," she said firmly. "Just because… he's gone doesn't mean the terrorist threat vanishes, does it?"

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Dimitri said. "Goodnight Ruth."

"Night." She dropped the phone to the floor and crawled into bed, her mind a haze of images of Harry as she fell into sleep.

* * *

><p>"Oh Christ," she groaned as her alarm clock went off. Seven in the morning. She had to go to work. Sitting up she realised that her head was pounding. Remembering what Dimitri had said she decided to rest her head for a little longer. It wouldn't kill anyone after all.<br>It was twenty to ten when she was finally awake and dressed, feeling well enough to actually leave the door. Considering she'd never been late once in her MI5 career, she felt she was owed. So apparently did the rest of Section D because no one had called her. Then she heard something from downstairs. Suddenly she had an urgent wish that she kept a gun in the house. All her knives were in the kitchen and she had no weapon to hand. That needed fixing at a later point in time, she thought. Picking up the empty wine bottle from the night before, thinking that broken glass might cause some damage, she slowly and silently went downstairs. On the bottom stair she realised what was going on. She walked into her living room to find two men in black suits going through the books on her shelf.

"Looking for something?" she asked, more confident than she felt. They both turned and faced her.

"Where's Harry Pearce?" the shorter blonde one asked in a clear American accent.

"I don't know," she said in a low bored voice. "I wish I did because it would stop me going insane, but I have no idea."

"You must have, even if you don't want to tell us," he said.

"I don't because he knew that you would try and get it out of me. So he didn't tell me where he was going or what he was doing. I don't even know what country he's in." The two Americans were silent as the grave as they took in this information, and the sincerity with which she said it. Ruth sighed. "But you don't have to take my word for it. By all means look through my house and my belongings. You won't find anything except in this drawer here," she added pointing to a small ornate looking desk in her lounge. "It was my grandmothers, so I'd appreciate it if you use the key rather than breaking it open. The key is stitched into the bottom of the left curtain over there. In that drawer you'll find some old bank statements, some bills and the property information for a little cottage in Sussex I have recently withdrawn my offer on. Nothing more and I don't actually think Harry's name appears anywhere in my house. Do you need anything else or can I go to work?"

Ruth knew a week ago it would have grated on her that two strangers were going through her house. But right at this moment she just didn't care. All her energy was being spent on Harry. Thinking about him, wondering if he was safe. Hoping he was surviving as well as he could. Her possessions seemed to matter very little to her. The two men were in a stunned silence. Clearly they had never had that reaction before when they were caught on someone's property. They nodded at her wordlessly and she took that as a sign she could go. Leaving her house she picked up her phone as she saw her curtains twitch.

"Erin, I have a CIA welcoming party at my house. Can you send a team over to make sure they don't destroy the building?"

"They're on their way," Erin said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, they wanted to know where Harry was."

"This is why I didn't tell you," Erin said, feeling vindicated.

"Oh grow up Erin," Ruth said impatiently. "If I really did know his location, do you think I'd tell two idiots from the CIA?" There was silence and Ruth wanted to retract her words. "I'm sorry Erin, I miss him, I'm tired and I'm hung over. I shouldn't take it out on you. You're the reason he has a life to live in the first place."

"You don't have to come in today," she said in a soft voice Ruth didn't really feel she deserved.

"I'd rather do that than watch the CIA turn my house over. And it took America less than twenty four hours so Moscow won't be far behind them either. I think they are less than pleased Harry slipped away from their grasp. I'll see you soon."

"Bye Ruth." She sighed and walked to the tube station, all the while thinking of one thing. Harry.

* * *

><p><em>A depressed Ruth was just too much fun to write. Maybe something from Harry's perspective soon. Possibly?<em>


	3. Chapter 3

Harry groaned as the alarm went off. He had only had about three hours sleep but he needed to be moving. He felt very vulnerable if he stayed in one place for more than a few hours. He knew Erin must have pulled all the stops out for him to escape the clutches of both the Americans and the Russians. He dearly hoped Ruth wasn't being given too much of a hard time from either the CIA or the FSB, knowing it was entirely his fault. He pushed thoughts of her away. He needed to concentrate of getting out of the city without anyone being suspicious of him.

About half an hour later he was on a bus and the outskirts of Santiago were falling behind him. He felt he could breathe again, as he was heading northwards. He would have preferred to catch a train as they were quicker but the Chilean rail network was almost non existent. Buses were far more common, so if he wanted to vanish quickly (and he did) he caught the first bus leaving the city.

Now that he had nothing to do but sit and wait for the bus to stop in La Serena, his thoughts turned to Ruth. He hoped she was okay, that was his main wish. He knew it would have been partly down to her that he wasn't behind bars at the moment, but that didn't make the distance any easier to bear. He was on the other side of the world to her. Sitting on the bus he was brought back to the time in London when she had passed him the memory stick. He had wanted to stay there forever. He had wanted to feel her fingertips on his hand for much longer than the brief moment of connection. Far longer. So many years and so much time wasted. What was wrong with him that he couldn't just say how he feels? They might have had a few weeks of happiness, maybe months, quite possibly years. That's what hurt the most. Not that he'd had to run. But that he'd run away from happiness with her.

Harry had a vague idea what he'd do, and how he'd live his life in Chile without being caught, (at least for a few years until governments and policies changed and he was no longer important) but first he needed to get to La Serena. Harry had kept several false identities all over the world, just in case something serious happened. He had very nearly abandoned south America completely. Now he was immensely grateful he hadn't. Once he had his new identity, he'd wire Erin and ask her to transfer the funds she'd already prepared, small deposits at a time so as not to red flag anything for people who might be watching. Then after that he'd find a small village on the coast and live his life.

Alone.

He desperately wanted to contact Ruth but knew it was too dangerous. He wanted to call her, he wanted to write to her to tell her that he was okay. He was safe. To tell her that even with the thousands of miles between them he loved her more than ever. To thank her for everything she'd done for him. He closed his eyes and remembered the very last time he had seen her. Probably the last time he ever would see her. As soon as Erin had shot Sasha, disabling him, they had heard a helicopter arriving and Harry had known what was coming. Ruth's face had been filled with confusion and then the horrifying truth had occurred to her. Several American agents had rushed off the helicopter and cuffed him, almost before she had been able to move. He looked into her beautiful blue eyes, eyes that were filled with sadness and wondered if he'd have the strength to leave her. He had been pulled backwards to the helicopter and was about to turn when she yelled "wait!" She closed the gap between them and without saying anything she kissed him desperately and urgently. Her hands were on his face, cold fingers against his cheeks. He struggled against the handcuffs out of instinct, because he wanted to hold her and that was when the CIA had decided enough was enough. He had been dragged away from her and bundled into the helicopter waiting to take off.

Back in the present Harry remembered that kiss. He longed to experience that again. He wanted to feel her lips again, in a much happier setting. He wanted a kiss with her that never ended. Something he now knew he wouldn't get. He closed his eyes and tried to remember her face about a year or so after she'd started at MI5. Much happier and carefree back then, he thought. He loved her so much, and he would never get the chance to tell her.

* * *

><p><em>More soon!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, a really short chapter based closely on the commentary..._

* * *

><p>Ruth was alone on the grid. It was six weeks since he'd gone. Six weeks. Forty two days. One thousand and eight hours, give or take a few. And she missed him now more than ever. A secret part of her that she'd never admitted, even to herself, thought it would get easier. It wasn't. It was getting harder, because the distance between them was only getting larger. The time and the miles between them… it was driving her crazy.<p>

She switched off her computer and saw that apart from her desk lamp the grid was in total darkness. With a sigh she switched the light off and got up. She was halfway to the pods when she turned back to her desk as a small light illuminated the darkness. Her phone was ringing. Glancing at her watch she saw it was quarter past ten. Dropping her handbag she ran to her desk and picked up the phone. "Yes?" Silence, except for a few faint crackles. Crackles which told her it was a long distance call. Hoping against hope it would be him she tried again. "Hello?" Suddenly the light on her phone flashed once.

"Is it you?" she asked quietly. Another flash. She swallowed, wondering what to say. This call would be monitored and voice recognition would pick up on Harry's voice if he spoke. Knowing he couldn't speak but being so close to hearing his voice was agonising. "Can you do once for yes and twice for no?" she asked suddenly. The phone flashed once more which she took for agreement. "Good," she said. "Are you safe?"

One flash.

"I'm glad. I hoped you would be. Are you happy?"

Two flashes.

"Selfishly I'm almost glad you're as miserable as I am," she said before she could stop herself. She heard an exhale of breath and felt sure he was almost laughing. "I want you to listen to me. I am going to find you. I don't care how long it takes, how many countries I visit but I am going to find you. I have to because this is driving me crazy. I can't live like this, knowing there's no hope for us. I have to do something. So I will track you down. Even if you tell me not to, I won't be able to stop myself. Okay?"

One flash.

"Good. It might take me a few years but never believe I've given up. I want to share a kiss with you that doesn't end it goodbye." Suddenly the phone flashed three times. She guessed that meant "I love you," and she found it hard to breathe for a few seconds. "I know," she whispered. "I should really hang up to keep this as short as possible but I don't want to." Silence, except listening to each other breathe. Two minutes later she heard the click of the phone on the other end and knew that he'd gone. She sighed deeply and sat at her desk, staring at the phone for at least an hour before moving. And when she did, her face was wet with tears.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks so much for the reviews so far everyone!<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_Amazed by all the lovely reviews from the last chapter. Thanks so much. Getting __closer to the reunion now, (which will happen soon, I promise!)_

* * *

><p><strong>15 months later.<strong>

Ruth came home after a very trying day at work. Luckily no one had died but it had been a near miss. Unlocking her door, she paused as she listened to make sure no one was inside. Even a year or more after the FSB had completely wrecked her house she still felt anxious every time she came home.

With her holiday last year she had flown to Argentina for ten days. She needed as much time as possible to try and find him. Using all of her skills (and Erin letting slip the continent) she had found the only two possible landings could have been the plane Harry was on.

One was Santiago in Chile, and the other was Buenos Aires in Argentina. They were the only cities that had unexpected landings on that day on small private airfields. Unable to wait much longer, Ruth had gone to Argentina, simply because it was first alphabetically and she had to be doing something. Anything. After a week of local researching, she was almost completely certain that it hadn't been Harry's flight. So she knew he was in Chile now, and his flight came in at Santiago, but he wouldn't have stayed there. Without further information it was pointless to go there, no matter how much she wanted to be nearer to him.

Because she was standing still on her doorstep, deep in thoughts of Harry, her neighbour saw her before she could go inside. "Oh, Ruth, glad I've caught you," Daphne said as Ruth turned. Daphne was a very helpful elderly woman whom Ruth liked a lot. She was a lot like herself in some ways, quiet and kept herself to herself. "Just stay there for a second."

Bewildered Ruth stayed where she was as Daphne quickly appeared back in her sight holding a brown padded envelope. "This was delivered to me by mistake this morning." Ruth held out her hand and read the address on the front. R. Evershed, 6 Brickley lane. The name was right, but her number was 4. What really got to her was the wonderful familiarity of the handwriting. It was from Harry. "Are you alright?" the elderly woman asked concerned, seeing her face go completely pale even under the street lights.

"Yes," Ruth said distractedly, running her thumb over his letters. He had touched this parcel. He had written her name on the address. She knew he would have mislabelled it on purpose, just in case her post was still being monitored. It wasn't, but she valued his thoughtfulness. What with the recent presidential election, the Americans had more important things to do than keep an eye on her. She also knew the fact it had been delivered to her most trustworthy of neighbours would not have been a coincidence either. "Yes, I'm fine," she repeated. "I just… I wasn't expecting this. Thank you."

"Nothing bad I hope?" Daphne said, not with nosiness, but with genuine concern.

"I don't think so," she said a small smile on her lips. "Thank you." Ruth turned and went into her house, wanting desperately to open the parcel he had sent her. Switching her kitchen light on, she sat at the table, holding the parcel like a bomb that might go off at any moment. Slowly, she prised the envelope open and brought out a book. A brand new copy of Persuasion, that had never been read. She opened it carefully, willing there to be a note written in it. Something that would tell her where he was. After half an hour of scouring it, she'd found nothing. It was simply a brand new, pristine, never read copy of one of Jane Austen's novels. But the choice of book reassured her that it was from him.

Exasperated, she picked up the envelope and was about to throw it away when she had a second thought. Hurriedly getting a knife she carefully cut along the seams and peeled open the envelope. Next she removed the bubble wrap and carefully took that off. Hidden between the layers of the packaging was a tiny piece of paper with only the bare minimum written on it.

_Its safe. Chile, north of La Serena. Small village by ocean. Live at number 2. Can't say more. H._

She closed her eyes in pure relief. Rereading the tiny note she saw the word live had a little dash by it. Almost as if he'd nearly crossed it out as thinking it might be too much information that was safe to release to her. She thanked God he hadn't. It would take much less time, even though she still anticipated months before she finally saw him. She had known he was in Chile but she hadn't got much further. "Thank you Harry," she whispered. She reread it maybe three dozen times before finding a match and setting light to it. Just in case.

* * *

><p>It was two weeks after Ruth had received that note from Harry. She was currently sitting on a half empty flight, on her way to South America. In her carryon luggage she had packed the copy of Persuasion Harry had sent her. To be able to touch something she knew he had held reminded her that she was doing the right thing. She was on her way to seeing him again, no matter how long it took.<p>

Luckily she had a seat all to herself and was allowed to wallow in thought. Once Erin had realised that there was no way on earth she was going to be stopped she had agreed to overseeing the sale of Ruth's flat, and then transfer the funds into her new account, allied with her new identity of Maria Edwards. She didn't feel like a Maria but it was a pre-prepared identity, all they'd had to do was slot her photo in, which meant it was quick, and that was all Ruth cared about. She had prepared a long, long list of likely villages that she wanted to visit, but even so, she knew it would take weeks but nothing would deter her. Her savings had to be spent somehow after all. Every minute that went past she felt a little stab of relief. The miles between them were being eaten up. She was closer to him that she had been in more than a year and that was the thought that kept her awake throughout the long flight.

* * *

><p><em>I haven't written the reunion, but its a work in progress. As soon as its done I'll post. Reviews really encourage me, and thank you so much for the lovely ones already written for this story.<em>


	6. Chapter 6

_Okay, the one you've been waiting for. Hope it lives up to expectations. This chapter also has an M rating after the line break..._

* * *

><p>Harry sat down in his kitchen, overlooking his small garden with a glass of whisky. It had taken him months to find someone selling at least halfway decent scotch, and once he had, he had stocked up so he'd always have something decent to drink of an evening.<p>

He missed her terribly, he thought taking a sip. He had taken a calculated risk in sending her that note. He knew her spy skills well enough to know that if she had received the book, she would have found the note. He hoped she was on her way. In fact, she was probably already in the country. It had been two years since he'd left London now. He had sent it quite a few months ago now but had no idea how long it would take to get to London, and then for her to quietly slip away without alerting red flags. He didn't for a second doubt that she would come and try to find him. If she felt even half the agony that he did from their parting, she would already be on her way. He loved her more with everyday that passed. He missed the way her blue eyes shone when she looked at him. He missed her quiet way of being able to make him know what she was thinking, without her needing to say a word.

In his darker moments he wondered if she might have died in MI5 before he managed to get secure enough to be able to send that message to her. Whenever that thought occurred to him, it was all he could do not to call Thames House, just to hear her voice. He didn't even have a picture of her. He had had to leave England so quickly that he had gone for twenty-four months without even seeing her image. Not once. And it was killing him. He needed to see her, he thought finishing his whiskey. It was that simple. That last kiss between them was now no more than a very faint memory. One that haunted his dreams as well as his waking hours.

His eyes were drifting closed when there was a knock on the door. Suddenly very much alert, he reached into the kitchen cupboard and checked that his handgun was loaded. Even with the alcohol he'd drunk, his grip was steady. By the front door he paused again, listening intently. He heard nothing. Keeping the gun tight in his right hand he unlocked the door with his left and pulled it open an inch or two. He froze as a beautifully familiar brunette stood there, a small smile on her face. When his senses caught back up with his eyesight he pulled the door open the whole way and dropped the gun to the floor with a loud clatter into the silence of the night.

"Hello," she said quietly, still with that tiny smile. Almost unsure of herself. Unsure if he wanted her there. He had to put that right immediately. Stepping outside into the cool night he pulled her into his arms, grasping her body to his tightly. He felt her hands running across his back softly, as if reassuring herself that he was real. Because he held her exactly the same way.

"Oh God Ruth," he whispered hoarsely into her hair as he held her even tighter. "You're here."

"I am," she said quietly. They stayed immobile holding each other for countless minutes, when Ruth broke the silence. "Just let me go for a second so we can shut the door," she said in a happy whisper. He kissed her hair once before letting his arms drop. They moved through the door and Harry kicked it shut before turning to her and cradling her face with both hands, thumbs running over her cheeks as he drunk her in. His eyes feasted on her, wanting to remind himself of everything he'd been missing for two years. Two long boring and empty years. Her eyes were smiling at him, doing the same.

"You let your hair grow," he murmured, running his hand through it, down to just past her shoulders.

"I've been looking for you for more than six months. Cutting it hasn't been at the top of my list," she said. "You hid your tracks well."

"That was the plan." He looked into her eyes again and couldn't resist leaning in and kissing her lips softly. Their embrace had none of the former desperation their last one had. It was slow and gentle, taking all the time in the world. He reluctantly pulled away a few inches to see her breathing heavily, eyes closed and lips looking wonderfully kissable. He leaned forward and kissed her briefly once more. "I can't believe you're here."

"You didn't think I'd find you?" she asked with a smile.

"I've been living in hope," he said. His hand slid down her arm and grasped her hand tightly.

"Okay," she said, the slight worry vanishing from her face, into a smile. She looked into his eyes for a long moment. "Oh my God, I missed you," she said under her breath before reaching up for another kiss. A never ending beautiful kiss, their bodies pressed against each other as they slowly moved further into the house. Lips still joined Harry felt the jolt when his foot hit the bottom stair and realised where this was heading relatively quickly.

"I don't… I mean…I'm not…" he kept tripping over his words, unable to say exactly what he wanted to, especially when her hands kept running over his chest very slowly and seductively.

"Harry?" she said quietly, interrupting his stuttering. "Take me upstairs." He smiled for the first time in months and took her hand, leading her steadily to the bedroom, eyes not breaking contact once.

* * *

><p>Ruth had a brief look around the room when they got there, but it was very sparse. The bed was really the only thing in the room, except for one chest of drawers. She didn't get much further in her observations as Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight to his chest. Her eyes slipped shut as he kissed her neck, revealed by the pale summer dress she wore, sliding a strap off her shoulder. He kept tasting her skin until her breathing became noticeably heavier. He left her skin and slowly trailed a finger to the zip on the back of her dress.<p>

"Do you want this?" he whispered, needing to check before he undressed her. Once the dress came off, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. Seeing her naked skin for the first time…

"Of course I do," she whispered without facing him. He heard sincerity in her voice and wasted no further time before he pulled the zip down, showing her pale skin to her. The dress dropped to the floor, leaving her wearing only her underwear. She turned slowly, feeling nervous, even after all this time that he was finally seeing her like this. He looked at her beautiful figure for a moment and then kissed her hard.

"You are gorgeous," he whispered in the only second his lips were free. "Perfectly beautiful." Her hands tried to undo his shirt, but her concentration kept fading as he made her gasp with his mouth on hers. After a minute or so he helped her and soon their clothes were falling to the ground as quickly as possible. He reached behind her for her bra clasp and that was soon dispensed with as well. He looked at her bare breasts for a few long moments before pushing her onto the bed and kissing her again, skin against skin as he lay on top of her. Her arms wrapped around his neck, wanting him as close as possible to her. A part of her brain still marvelled at the fact that he was actually here with her. Then conscious thought vanished as one of his hands reached lower and started intimately pleasuring her.

"Oh!" she gasped as his fingers began touching her most sensitive spots. He watched her face carefully for her reactions, wanting to know how she liked to be touched. He had dreamed of this for a decade, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity to see the way her face changed when she was caught in the height of passion. He knew she was getting close to the edge because she was panting slightly and biting her lip so as not to make any noise.

"Don't hold back," he whispered just after nipping her earlobe with his teeth. His voice reverberated through her and she let out a cry a few moments later as her climax hit her, as if every nerve ending in her body were on fire. He leant back on the pillows and watched her recover, a hand lightly resting on her ribcage. Her eyelids fluttered open and turned to him once she was aware of her surroundings again. She had a smile on her face and Harry felt happy because he had made her look like this. Just her reaction would be enough for him tonight, even if nothing else happened. He didn't feel the need to rush to his own satisfaction, which was a new feeling for him.

"That was amazing," she whispered. "Definitely worth flying halfway around the world for _that_."

He chuckled and then gasped as her hand wrapped around his erection firmly. "Ruth… we don't have to," he said in a harsh whisper. "As long as you're happy, that's all that I care about."

Well I want to," she said bluntly, her blue eyes deadly serious. "I'm not finished with you yet." He laughed lightly at that, and feeling further argument was pointless he revelled in the sensations she was creating for him. After long torturous minutes of teasing Ruth sighed and quickly straddled him, pushing herself onto his length slowly. She gasped when he was fully inside her, marvelling at how right it felt, now that they were physically joined for the very first time. Their eyes were locked in passionate gaze as she slowly moved, setting the rhythm. She was the single most intoxicating thing he had ever seen in those moments. Ruth let out a squeal as Harry flipped them both over and quickened the pace. He laughed into her mouth as he kissed her again, deeply and slowly.

She started groaning slightly as he thrust into her hard over and over again, relentlessly. It just felt so indescribably good, what he was doing to her. "Oh God Harry!" She arched her back as her second climax of the night went through every fibre of her body. She felt Harry's release just behind her own and they both sighed in total satisfaction as he collapsed, half on top of her, half next to her.

"Are you happy?" Harry mumbled, with closed eyes in the vague direction of her head. "

"Mm," she said in a low and desire filled voice. "Very.

* * *

><p><em>Hope this was okay! Thanks for the lovely reviews, urging me to write quicker...<em>


	7. Chapter 7

That night was restless for both of them. Neither could fall asleep for more than half an hour at a time, fearing that the other would vanish if they did. The whole night was spent touching each other, just to reassure them that this was real. The sunlight broke through the window early in the morning, waking Ruth up. She screwed her eyes up against the light and planted a kiss on Harry's shoulder before getting up. Slipping on Harry's shirt she quietly walked downstairs and switched the kettle on, needing a drink.

Wrapping her hands around the mug she looked out of the kitchen window at Harry's very rundown garden. Clearly he hadn't bothered to do anything to it once he moved in. She definitely thought that the house needed a woman's touch. That made her smile with perfect happiness. She sat at the kitchen table and saw yesterdays newspaper. She flicked it open and practised her Spanish quietly to herself.

Meanwhile Harry was waking up upstairs. He smiled with his eyes closed as he remembered last night. He reached out for her but his arm fell on the cold mattress. "Ruth?" he said quietly. No, it couldn't have been a dream. It was so, so real. "Ruth?" he called in a louder voice. No answer. Pulling on his boxers he went downstairs, all the while calling her name.

"Calm down, I'm in the kitchen," Ruth said once she heard his shouts. He came through the door and saw her sitting at the table, tea in one hand as she turned to face him.

"You can't do that," he said in a low voice. "Ruth, you can't just vanish, you can't do that to me." She saw how worried he was and got up, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Harry, I am not going anywhere," she said slowly. "As long as you want me here, I'll be here." She kissed his lips slowly and lovingly, as if to make her point for her.

"Of course I want you here," he said surely. "I never want you to leave."

"Good. That's just what I wanted to hear." She kissed him again before sitting back down and returning to the paper.

"Ruth, I'm going to ask you something," he said seriously, sitting down and holding her hand tightly as she looked back at him. "Do you need to go back to England or are you here for good?"

"I'm here for good, Harry," she said. "Erin sold my flat and the money's already in my bank account. I haven't really made a dent in it yet."

"I'm relieved," he said. "I don't think I could have coped with one perfect night with you to then lose you again."

"You won't have to." She leaned over the table and kissed him. "I'm going to go to the inn I'm staying at to pick up my clothes at some point today and bring them over," she said conversationally. "Unless you don't want a house guest?"

"Of course I do," he said with a smile as he added milk to his tea. He sat opposite her and smiled at her.

"Why are you watching me so seriously?" she asked with a smile.

"I have had two years without seeing you. I'm making up for lost time."

Ruth smiled but then it faded as she thought of something. "Last night. I wasn't… I mean, I didn't come around for sex."

"I know," he said. "You wouldn't have travelled for months around Chile just for sex."

"Mm," she agreed. "Fantastic as it was." He smiled and then walked around the table to give her a lingering soft kiss. He pulled her to her feet and arms became wrapped and tangled around each other.

"I'll be here with you, for as long as you want to put up with me," she reassured him. "I promise."

"So what do you want to do today?" he asked. She raised her eyebrows suggestively and he laughed. "I've missed you," he said quietly. "The way I can always see what you're thinking before you even say a word. Someone who understands me more than I do myself."

"I love you," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. It all seemed so easy now that they were standing in front of each other, with smiles on their faces rather than the tears and loneliness of two years before.

"I love you too," he replied. And he kissed her again.

* * *

><p>Later that day, once she had picked up her meagre belongings she had a look around the house. Its location was fabulous, on a cliff with views over the beach. A small rocky beach, which she guessed would be tourist free, even in the season. "What have you been doing to this house?" Ruth asked looking around the lounge. The paint was peeling in sheets, spotting the floor in horrible grey confetti and there was almost no furniture there at all. It was a very similar story in the rest of the house.<p>

"Nothing," he said. "I've left it the way it was when it was sold to me."

"Why?" she asked curiously. "You must have been here for months. A year even. And I haven't even looked at the mess of the garden yet."

"Because I didn't want to make a home without you," he said. "I couldn't pick a paint colour because in my mind you'd be arguing with my choice. I couldn't buy any furniture without thinking what you'd like for our home. I couldn't do anything, so I just left it. Hoping that one day you'd be here."

"That is terribly romantic you know," she said, her arms around his neck. "Are you actually the perfect man?"

"As long as I'm the perfect man for you," he said with a cheeky smile. "The rest doesn't matter." She kissed him briefly, loving the way their bodies pressed together.

"Can we please fix it," she said.

"Of course we can," he said. "It was waiting for you._ I_ was waiting for you." She smiled sadly and then he changed the subject. "What name are you using by the way? I never asked.

"Maria Edwards," she said. "I hate it but nothing to do about it now. By the way your identity is awful. You're using your real first name!"

"No one in my old life ever knew me by Henry anyway. You know that's true. Plus it had the added bonus of no one thinking I'd use something so obvious. It didn't fool you though did it?"

"I saw Henry Williams on the property deeds, and I got a feeling... I just thought it could be you. It was worth checking out at the very least, so I came here."

"Property deeds?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A real test of my Spanish," she said seriously. "I got so exasperated. If it hadn't have been for you I'd have given up."

"I'm glad you didn't."

"Mm," she whispered, kissing his lips slowly. "I promised I'd find you. No matter how long it took." She kissed him again and it was a long time before they came up for air.

* * *

><p>Erin yawned as she picked up a small pile of letters in her internal mail. She sat down behind her desk, shrugging her jacket off and switching the computer on. Flicking through her post she saw one small envelope that caught her attention. Opening it she was surprised when a newspaper clipping fell out. It was small and she couldn't read a word of it.<p>

"Dimitri, how's your Spanish?" she asked as he walked by.

"Passable." Erin handed him the clipping and he read it for a minute and then smiled.

"What is it?" Erin asked with intense curiosity.

"It says: On the twenty ninth of April, Miss Maria Edwards married Henry Williams in a small and intimate ceremony. Witnesses say the couple are happy and very much in love, looking forward to their life together." Dimitri handed Erin back the newspaper cutting and they both smiled.

"I'm glad she found him," Erin said. "Makes me feel slightly less guilty over keeping them apart for so long."

"You were doing it to keep them safe," Dimitri reminded her. "Not to be cruel. They both know that."

"Mm, but when I was confronted by Ruth's sad face every morning silently begging for information… it got annoying after a while."

Dimitri laughed. "They're happy."

"They could come back you know," Erin said. "Its been a few years, and the Cabinet has been completely changed. New Home Secretary and Prime Minister, new President in America. Not to mention the fact that Ilya was shot dead last month. They have nothing to fear from any quarter anymore."

"Yeah," Dimitri said quietly. "Do you want to be the one dragging them away from their sunny retirement back into dealing with terrorists on a daily basis?"

"Maybe not," Erin said with a smile. "I'm just glad they're happy."

"Yes," Dimitri said, eyes boring into Erin's intensely as Callum came around the corner, speaking about some Japanese terrorist they'd been tracking. Callum looked at the two of them and paused, seeing the way they looked at each other.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?"

"No," they both said instantly, tearing their eyes away from each other. And they all quickly got back to work

* * *

><p><em>I hadn't really planned on this being the last chapter but thought it was a nice way to round it off. Thanks for the reviews everyone. Hope one more isn't too much to ask! xxx<em>


End file.
